1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for generating print data for check-printing image data to be inserted into a variable region of form data in a printer and confirming an image to be used in variable data printing by outputting the image and an information processing system capable of modifying an image database in variable data printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a market for Print On Demand (POD) has developed accordingly as image forming apparatuses, such as electrophotographic printing apparatuses or an inkjet printing apparatuses, have achieved higher processing speed and image quality. In the POD market, a job of a relatively small lot can be processed as a digital print using electronic data and be quickly delivered to a customer, without the use of a large-scale image forming apparatus. In comparison to the conventional print industry, the POD market integrates digital technology by using a computer in managing and controlling printing. Consequently, the POD market is coming closer to the conventional printing industry in performance level. The POD market includes various services, such as Print for Pay (PFP), which is a print service provided by copy shops and print shops, and Centralized Reproduction Department (CRD), which is an in-house print service.
Moreover, there is a technique referred to as Variable Data Printing (VDP), which is derived from POD and which exploits a characteristic of a digital image forming apparatus. In VDP, content to be printed can be changed according to information in a database for each printing. For example, VDP can be used in printing direct mail, in which product information to be supplied to a customer can be changed according to customer information. Furthermore, VDP can be used in generating an account statement, such as an energy bill, in which the numerals can be changed according to the usage of energy.
Print data in a VDP system is referred to as VDP data. An application that generates VDP data is referred to as a VDP application. The VDP application provides a user interface for a user to create a page layout. In a general print layout application, a user disposes actual objects, such as text or images, on a user interface. However, in a VDP application, since such objects may change according to information in a database, a user determines a region in which an object is to be disposed, i.e., the location and size of the region and the type of content (e.g., text, image, or graphics) to be disposed in the region. In particular, a region in which content can change according to a record in a database is referred to as a “variable region”, and a region in which content does not change according to a record in a database is referred to as a “fixed region”.
In a variable region, a user sets a conditional expression using each data column in a database, so that the content of the region changes according to a record in the database. For example, a conditional expression can be set such that if the value of “age” in a record of a database is between 20 to 29, a photographic image that suits younger adults is disposed in the variable region, and if the value is greater than or equal to 60, a photographic image that suits the elderly is disposed in the variable region.
As described above, a VDP application generates VDP data that associates a region in a page with a database and sends the VDP data to a digital image forming apparatus. Upon receiving the VDP data, the digital image forming apparatus prints the VDP data according to the association described in the VDP data.
In a VDP application, a print content (e.g., text, image, or graphics) changes according to each record value in a database. Therefore, it is difficult to confirm whether all records are correctly printed if the database includes a large number of records.
In particular, image data for use in VDP is often obtained by various methods and devices, such as an image downloaded from the Internet, an image scanned by a scanner, or an image photographed by a digital camera. As a result, there is a variation in the pixel size, which can cause a problem. For example, the first image data may be printed with an appropriate quality while the second image data of a low resolution may be printed at an unacceptable print quality. A reliable way to confirm a print quality of the above-described image data to be used in VDP is to actually print the image data. However, it may not be realistic to print all VDP data when there are a large number of records. Moreover, in the case of printing VDP data, even when a user desires to extract and check only image data, other form data and text data are printed together with the image data. Consequently, a large amount of printing medium and toner is necessary for printing for checking the image data. Further, as image data to be used in performing VDP increases, the time required for a user and the cost for printing to check the print quality increase.
To solve the above-described problems, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-301883 discusses a technique for analyzing print data when printing the print data. If it is determined that an appropriate printing cannot be performed based on a result of the analysis, the analysis information and the corresponding detailed information are displayed to inform a user why a printing result is coarse.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-231676 discusses a technique that includes a first image synthesis mode and a second image synthesis mode. A normal variable data printing is performed in the first image synthesis mode, and all variable information and master data are synthesized to be output as one image in the second image synthesis mode. Consequently, a user can easily confirm all images that are output by variable data printing.
However, the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-301883 does not allow a user to obtain information on a result of printing image data after a plurality of image data is each converted by the VDP application, which is a typical process in a variable data printing. Furthermore, the user cannot sufficiently confirm whether a desired printing result can be obtained for all image data to be used in variable data printing.
The technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-231676 allows a user to determine whether the image data to be used in variable data printing will be laid out appropriately when the image data is synthesized. However, an improved method is desired for confirming whether the image data to be used in variable data printing is an image that is suitable for actual printing.